Instead of acknowledging at least some of these excellent achievements — even if only the skilled use of many grammatical elements, such as nominalised participles (e.g., Studierende), or linguistic elements like fixed word combinations — he indulged in nitpicking. The candidate supposedly had “problems with pronunciation”: the R, yes, the R, he proclaimed: “For that, you need 10–12 years to get a German R right... And I’m talking about just a normal R, not the rolled R… or the umlauts, for example... that’s torture for an Asian... and you think after 2 years as a native Vietnamese you’ll get that?” To put it in a nutshell: Vietnamese pronunciation is objectively far more complex than German’s. Vietnamese is a tonal language — a single syllable can have six different meanings depending on pitch and contour. Misplace the tone, and you are suddenly saying something entirely different. German, by contrast, is actually pretty straightforward: no tones, no pitch-determined meaning. Once you've got the ch, the umlauts, the R, they stay put. So while a Vietnamese learner might struggle with the R, a German speaker trying to master Vietnamese tones is in for a far rougher ride. The fact that — contrary to the examiner’s claim — the candidate had no problem with the R whatsoever makes me wonder whether his perception was less about reality and more about bias-driven projection. Had the colleague acted in good faith, i.e., in a way that aligns with the examiner’s role of embodying tacit professional norms and being sensitive to the pressure on the candidate, he might have helped create a fair, safe, supportive, yet evaluative environment. Such an approach and mindset would not only have a positive and motivating effect on the student but, surprise, surprise, on the examiner himself as well.

My dad his someone how I don’t have many things to describe him, but his my super hero. His help me to be calm in many situations, so thankful is for mister “Hehuka”

I’m looking for a female language exchange partner to practice speaking English. My level is around B2+, and I want to improve fluency, confidence, and natural expression through conversation. I’m interested in talking about daily life, culture, education, books, movies, and tech . My native language is Arabic, and I can speak Turkish at a B2 level, so we can do a language exchange or practice English together. Feel free to message me if you’re interested.

The company decided to ____ the new project because it was too expensive. a) start b) create c) cancel d) design

Can “august” imply commanding dominance, as in Augustus Caesar? And to what extent is a word’s nuanced meaning in context subject to personal interpretation? The verdict was delivered by an august tribunal, whose wisdom was unquestioned.

Recently I became interested in baking again. My older sister is good at making sweets, and I started baking after watching her. I am a careful person, so baking fits me well because it needs correct amounts and clear steps. I like following recipes and making things the right way. When I was in high school, I often made sweets for my friends on events like Valentine’s Day. I enjoyed giving them my sweets, and my friends looked happy. After that, I moved to a new place and became busy, so I did not have much time to bake. Also, my mother started coming home late at night, so I began cooking my own meals. Because of this, I spent more time cooking than baking. Cooking is interesting, but I did not come to love it as much as baking. One day a friend said she wanted to eat some sweets, so I baked again after a long time. It was very fun, and I was surprised by how much I enjoyed it. This week I already baked three times. I have many club practices these days. One of the practice days is my friend’s birthday, so I am planning to make a cheesecake for her. I want to bring it to practice and surprise her. I hope it goes well, and I hope she will be happy.

2/3 Contrary to his judgment, the Vietnamese student was not attempting to “force something” she was incapable of doing. Instead, she spontaneously expressed her thoughts — shaped by her two academic subjects — without being excessively hindered by a language barrier. Grammatically, she used nearly perfect inflexion, employed linguistic tools such as complements, infinitive constructions, and a wide range of connectors, and was fully capable of speaking spontaneously and appropriately about complex topics with highly suitable vocabulary. The second candidate’s question, about a negative experience in Germany, was difficult to answer — especially since the student from Vietnam demonstrated a reflective, mature approach to experiences in general, whether positive or negative. She not only addressed the content of the question but did so in a culturally sensitive (!) and socially intelligent way: she framed the negative experience in terms of her self-perception of her own German language skills. What could more clearly demonstrate an excellent command of language than the ability to express both intercultural tact and a complex personal life situation in an entirely appropriate and comprehensible manner?